Chapter 49
The night Shao Sui returned from the base, he sat alone in the dark living room, eating the melted, sticky mess that was once a cotton candy.
Sweet, yet bitter.
As the winter break approached, Shao Sui was incredibly busy, besides his usual lesson preparations, classes, and grading, there were also various meetings, faculty meetings, group meetings, meetings to analyze student performance, meetings to discuss final exam strategies…
So at school, Shao Sui rarely had time to think about anything else.
But the kitten, like water, always found a way to seep into his thoughts.
Like when he was tired from grading, pausing for a moment, or when he was in the cafeteria, seeing a few students feeding stray cats sausages, he would always think of Mimi.
And at home, such moments were even more frequent.
From the moment he woke up, the alarm clock was no longer Mimi, but his cold, unfeeling phone. He didn’t have to make breakfast for two, or give a long list of reminders before leaving, and there were no goodbye kisses.
With the arrival of winter, the days grew shorter, and Shao Sui had to walk through the darkness to get home. What awaited him wasn’t a warm embrace, but a cold, empty apartment.
He usually ate something simple, then prepared his lessons until midnight. The emptiness after a busy day was the most unbearable. He would lie in bed, often unable to sleep, opening his photo album and scrolling through the pictures, his arms feeling empty, no soft fur tickling his nose, no sweet popcorn scent.
The silent emptiness amplified the void in his heart, desperately needing to be filled.
One time, Shao Sui, as if possessed, got out of bed, picked one of Mimi’s shirts from the wardrobe, and hugged it. Unfortunately, he wasn’t a cat and couldn’t find solace in the scent.
Only in his dreams would the little cat spirit occasionally return, saying the cruelest words in the most innocent tone, “Shao Sui, I don’t need you anymore.”
Shao Sui would often wake up with a start, staring at the ceiling for a long time. Even though he knew there was nothing beside him, he would still pat the empty space and softly call out Mimi’s name.
Of course, there was never a response.
Only then would Shao Sui realize how much he longed for Mimi’s companionship.
Their dependence was mutual.
But there was only one Mimi, and many Shao Suis in this city, easily replaceable.
He was boring and predictable, his life a monotonous routine between home and school, either cleaning or on his way to clean, nothing new or exciting.
Mimi’s arrival had disrupted his dull life, adding flavor.
With a click, Shao Sui finished grading the last test paper, put down his red pen, stood up to stretch, and poured himself a glass of hot water.
Shu Yi asked, “Teacher Shao, how’s the apartment hunting going?”
The sound of running water stopped, Shao Sui took a sip of water to clear his throat, “—A few decent ones, there’s a three-bedroom corner unit, move-in ready, the renovation and price are both reasonable.”
“Then you should make an offer quickly, the housing market is down, a good time to buy.”
“I’ll wait a bit longer.” Shao Sui warmed his hands with the cup. “I’ll go see them again in a few days.”
“Be careful, someone else might snatch it up.”
Shao Sui smiled without replying.
If someone else bought it, it meant it wasn’t the right apartment for him and Mimi, not meant to be.
The real estate agent, seeing him apartment hunting alone recently, assumed he had broken up with his boyfriend, carefully avoiding the topic, afraid of upsetting him.
Shao Sui hadn’t paid the deposit yet, partly because he wanted to wait for Mimi to come back and see the apartments, partly because he was feeling insecure, afraid Mimi, after gaining independence and his own thoughts, wouldn’t need him anymore.
After all, Shao Sui had nothing much to offer, his only advantage being able to provide Mimi with a comfortable life without him having to work.
What else was there?
“New Year’s isn’t far off after New Year’s Day.” The math teacher beside him said, “Teacher Shao and Teacher Cheng, still single, your families won’t leave you in peace during the holidays.”
Cheng Ke smiled, “Then I won’t go back. I just had a fight with my dad, I’m planning to stay here with my cat for the holidays.”
The math teacher: “Avoiding it every year isn’t a solution. Are you not planning to get married?”
“Marry who? It’s not like I’m lacking a partner, and the words ‘marry’ and ‘get married’ make me want to throw up.” Cheng Ke said with a smile, “Maybe I won’t mind being nagged when everyone replaces those words with simply ‘get married’ instead of distinguishing between male and female.”
The math teacher said awkwardly, “It’s just different wording, same meaning.”
Shu Yi changed the subject, “Teacher Shao, you’re going home for the holidays, right?”
Shao Sui shook his head: “Same as Teacher Cheng, staying with the cat.”
“Young people these days would rather cuddle cats than babies.” Shu Yi sighed. “It’s good to be young, free to do whatever you want.”
Shao Sui chuckled. As teachers, didn’t they know how troublesome children were? There were moments of cuteness, but very few.
Cats were different.
The day he went to pick up Mimi, it was also snowing heavily, just like the day they separated.
James and Tian Miao were late, and Shao Sui’s heart sank, afraid something had happened.
Fortunately, they sent a message explaining they were in line for takoyaki. They couldn’t resist the smell.
Shao Sui really wanted to urge them to hurry, but he held back, asking them to buy him a portion as well.
Twenty minutes later, he finally got into the car, taking the takoyaki and saying, “Thanks, how much? I’ll transfer you the money.”
“Twenty.” James said casually. “Not buying a bouquet?”
Shao Sui paused. He had actually considered it, but what kind of flowers? Roses were too direct and clichéd, Mimi might not understand. And the base probably had sex education classes, perhaps Mimi, having learned about human relationships, had already decided to distance himself from him.
And cats were sensitive to smells, most didn’t like floral scents.
“He probably prefers durian.”
Tian Miao’s eyes lit up, asking while chewing on takoyaki, “Where is it?”
Shao Sui said cruelly, “At home, I bought it last night.”
Tian Miao gripped the steering wheel, his expression cold.
“If you want some…”
“I don’t.”
“…”
Every time Shao Sui went to the base for his educational sessions, these two would pick him up and drop him off, sometimes with other people in the car, so he had become familiar with them. James and Tian Miao were both cat spirits, one a domestic cat, the other mixed breed.
Although they behaved like seasoned humans, they still exhibited some cat-like traits, like being easily offended.
The winter break had arrived, and the roads were incredibly congested. They left at 9 AM and didn’t reach the base until 12:30 PM.
Shao Sui felt a rare surge of anxiety, taking deep breaths to calm himself.
He should have bought something, not just a box of takoyaki.
He thought he would be able to go into the dormitory to help Mimi pack, or at least meet him downstairs, but as soon as he entered the administrative hall, he saw a familiar figure calling out crisply, “Shao Sui.”
He’s changed.
That was Shao Sui’s first thought.
Mimi had lost weight, his face no longer as chubby, and he seemed more composed, probably having learned a lot.
After a month of separation, his first reaction upon seeing Shao Sui wasn’t even a hug.
Then Shao Sui would initiate the hug.
He quickly walked over and pulled Mimi into his arms, briefly touching his hair before letting go.
“You seem taller.”
“I grew two centimeters.”
Mimi held up two fingers, a brief smile flashing across his face before disappearing, his expression returning to its usual composure.
Shao Sui: “…”
They had indeed become distant.
Guan Jiu, beside them, gave some reminders: “Remember the agreements you signed, don’t violate them. And you,” she looked at Mimi, “don’t use your cat spirit abilities to commit crimes, live an honest life in human society, and contact the organization if you have any problems.”
Then she said to Shao Sui, “You have to treat the cat spirit as an equal, no abuse, no forcing him to do anything against his will… no means no.”
Mimi mumbled softly, “That’s not necessarily true…”
Neither Guan Jiu nor Shao Sui heard him clearly, “What did you say?”
“Nothing.” Mimi looked up. “Shao Sui wouldn’t bully me.”
Guan Jiu scoffed, “Okay, just don’t come crying to us later.”
Shao Sui was slightly comforted by Mimi’s defense, feeling there was still hope for their relationship.
“Any other procedures?”
“No, everything’s done.” Guan Jiu knew what he wanted to ask. “His identification documents are ready, you can take him to apply for a bank card and phone card, save us a trip.”
Shao Sui hadn’t expected it to be so efficient, “His household registration is…?”
Guan Jiu smiled slyly, “Collective household registration at the orphanage, don’t tell me you wanted to register him under your household?”
Shao Sui said righteously, “How could that be?”
Actually, he had considered it, but immediately dismissed the idea.
Honestly, Shao Sui wanted to bind Mimi to him, in every way possible.
But being registered under the same household would impose many restrictions, a burden for Mimi.
If one day Mimi grew tired of him, the shared household registration wouldn’t be a symbol of their bond, but a source of pressure.
Guan Jiu said, “That’s good.”
Mimi glanced at Shao Sui, slightly unhappy.
Guan Jiu handed Mimi a sealed bag, “Your documents are all inside, keep them safe, and contact us if you encounter any problems.”
Mimi obediently took the bag and handed it to Shao Sui, “Okay.”
Guan Jiu rolled her eyes. A month of lessons, and he almost failed one of them.
She waved her hand dismissively, “You can go now.”
Back in the car, Shao Sui and Mimi weren’t sitting far apart, their legs occasionally brushing against each other with every bump in the road. But it was a far cry from their previous closeness, leaving Shao Sui feeling a deep sense of loss, a pang of sadness in his heart.
The little cat spirit had indeed grown up, knowing many intimate actions were inappropriate for humans.
It seemed Mimi had also thought about the partner question and arrived at a negative answer.
It wasn’t a big deal, as long as he was willing to come home.
According to the agreements, maintaining a mutually adoptive relationship was also a good option. The cat spirit needed the human’s help to navigate society, and the human needed the cat spirit’s companionship.
Mimi glanced at the scenery, then at Shao Sui.
His hand, resting on the seat, slowly moved, grasping the corner of Shao Sui’s shirt.
Mimi said, “I got good grades on my final exam.”
Shao Sui was surprised, “You had exams?”
James, in the passenger seat, said, “Yes, several. Life skills, general knowledge, human-likeness, advanced skills, independence level, etc.”
Mimi said, “Only one subject had a low score, the others were all above ninety, and the teacher gave me an A+ overall.”
James said, “You have to come back every year for the exam, after three years, if you have a stable residence and job, it changes to once every five years.”
Shao Sui responded with a thoughtful “mm-hmm”: “Which subject had the low score?”
Mimi said, “I won’t tell you.”
Shao Sui felt a little hurt.
To avoid showing his emotions in front of others, he took out the takoyaki he had been keeping warm inside his down jacket, “It’s a bit cold now, still want to eat it?”
Mimi took the fork and stuffed a whole takoyaki into his mouth, the side of his face puffed out like a little hamster.
Shao Sui’s hand twitched, wanting to poke it.
James glanced at the rearview mirror, then continued filing his nails. Only Shao Sui didn’t realize Mimi was deliberately acting cute.
The drive home was much smoother, less traffic.
James and Tian Miao dropped them off at the community gate and left, saying they were starting their New Year’s holiday and going to a bar tonight.
Mimi, now knowing what a bar was, quickly explained, “Not all cat spirits like going to bars.”
Shao Sui replied with an “mm-hmm,” “Like our Mimi.”
Mimi nodded in agreement, “Exactly.”
Shao Sui pulled the suitcase, walking side by side with Mimi on the snow-covered path, snowflakes falling on their heads and shoulders, dusting their eyelashes.
Their hands were red from the cold, but neither put them in their pockets, using the occasional bumps as an excuse to brush against each other’s icy fingertips.
Shao Sui asked, “Are your hands cold?”
Mimi said reservedly, “A little.”
Shao Sui, no longer bothering with pretense, took Mimi’s hand and put it in his pocket, “Better?”
Mimi didn’t resist, “Much better.”
“I’m on holiday now, no part-time jobs this year, I’ll be home every day.” Shao Sui started a conversation, “Want to build a snowman?”
Mimi said, “Yes.”
Shao Sui suggested, “How about tomorrow? I bought a small cake and durian to celebrate your return.”
Mimi’s invisible tail stood straight up, “Ice cream cake?”
Shao Sui tickled Mimi’s palm, “It’s winter.”
Mimi: “Okay, any cake is fine.”
Shao Sui unlocked the door, his heart racing. He held Mimi’s hand tightly, finally feeling that his cat was truly home.
He said, “Welcome home, baby.”
Mimi turned his head and called out, “Shao Sui.”
“Hmm?”
The durian and cake were on the dining table, but Mimi seemed not to notice, “Can you sit on the sofa for a bit?”
The air conditioner was on, the apartment warm. Shao Sui washed his hands, changed into his loungewear, and sat on the sofa as Mimi requested.
Mimi then said, “Lie down, please.”
Shao Sui complied.
Then, Mimi straddled him and said politely, “I need to… violate you for a moment.”
“?”
As soon as he finished speaking, Mimi lowered his head and sniffed Shao Sui all over, starting from his ears and neck, even pulling open his collar and burying his face against his skin, as if checking if Shao Sui had been unfaithful during his absence.
Shao Sui’s body stiffened, tilting his head back and letting the little cat spirit inspect him. He lightly held Mimi’s waist, his legs slightly closed, trying to hide his involuntary reaction.
After a while, Mimi sat up straight, a stern expression on his face, his eyes questioning.
Shao Sui said, “I swear, I haven’t touched any other cats… or any other humans.”
Mimi said unhappily, “You smell like someone else.”
Shao Sui’s mind raced, “Incense! It’s winter, the windows in the office and classrooms are always closed, it gets stuffy, so I lit some incense.”
Mimi reluctantly accepted the explanation.
After a moment of staring at each other, Mimi still didn’t get off him. Shao Sui asked tentatively, “Do you still want to… violate me?”
Mimi, ever so polite, asked, “May I?”
Shao Sui said, “You may.”
“Then excuse me.”
Mimi immediately leaned down, buried his face in Shao Sui’s neck, and took a deep breath, then he couldn’t resist nibbling on Shao Sui’s exposed collarbone, licking it apologetically afterward.
Then nibbling and licking it again.
